Addressing machine and inking mechanism therefor



July 27, 1937. H. P. ELLIOTT 2,088,469

ADDRESSING MACHINE AND INKING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Feb. 11, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1937- H. P. ELLIOTT 2,088,469 I ADDRESSING MACHINE AND INKING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed. Feb. 11, 1935 5 Shets-Sheet 2 July 27,1937. n. P. ELLIOTT 2,088,469

ADDRESSING MACHINE AND INKING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Feb. 11, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ihueniora HMW e. m

Patented July 27, 1937 w I V UNETED STATES ADDRESSING MACHINE AND INKING MECH ANISM THEREFOR,

Harmon P. Elliott, Watertown, Mass.

Application February 11, 1935, Serial No. 5,945

21 Claims.

This invention relates to printing machines, as addressing machines, of the type wherein the data to be printed is carried by a succession of printing devices, as stencils, that are moved successively through the printing position.

The invention is particularly adapted to an addressing machine having a fiat impression plate that reciprocates or, especially, swings into and out of pressure engagement with the successive stencils.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved form of mechanism for supplying ink to the pressure face of the impression plate, particularly where the" supply of ink comes from the surface of an ink bearing cylinder or drum. located abovev the impression plate.

A further. object of the invention is the provision of an inking mechanism for a reciprocable flat impression plate, the mechanism including aninking roller and means responsive to the reciprocatory movements of the impression plate for causing the roller to roll over the working face of the impression plate during the reciprocatory movements of the plate.

A yet further object. of the invention is an improved form of mechanism wherein the ink roll is caused to traverse the workingface of the plate from one end to the other thereof and into a position entirely clear of said plate and in engagement with ink transferring rolls during one of the strokes of the plate and tomove across said face and deposit ,inkthereon during the other'stroke of the plate.

vention.

Fig. 21s a sectional detail similar to Fig. 1 but with the parts in printing position.-

Fig. .3 is a perspective detail of one side of the mechanism controlling the movements of the ink roll.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the inking mechanism of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the printing head, the parts norm moved.

ally. disposed thereabove being re- ATENTQI OFFICE Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the printing head taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken along line 1-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the supporting 5" arm of the ink roll frame.

i Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an operating link for the ink roll frame.

The addressing machine embodying the present invention includes a horizontal table I2 hav- 10 ing a pairofhorizontally spaced rails l4 that also'are vertically spaced above the table and constitute a track in which the printing de vices as stencils l6 are advanced in successive order into and out of the printing operation. The printing mechanism includes an anvil or platen l8 having rearwardly extended arms pivoted to a bracket 22 secured to'the underside of the table. The anvil I8 is reciprocable vertically through an opening in the table into an operative position where it holds a work sheet 0 against a printing device IS. The anvil is reciprocated by means of a cam arm 24 having a cam face 26 that rolls under a cam roll 28 of the platen. The cam arm 24 is fixed to a shaft 30 journalled in the bracket 22. The shaft 30 25 is oscillated by an arm 32 that is fixed on the shaft and has a latch connection 34 with an operating segment 36 that is journalled on said shaft and is reciprocated from a power plant not shown through a connecting rod 38.

The printing head is carried by a horizontal frame'40 in the form of a loop pivoted at 42 to the bracket 22 above the top of the table l2. The frame has a depending arm 44 that is connected through a toggle link 46 with'the arm 32 so that the printing frame and anvil are reciprocated conjointly. The printing frame 40 has a pair of spaced arms 48 that are extended forwardly and have forward ends that overlie the stencil track I4. Apair of upper and lower horizontal rods 50 and 52 respectively are extended between and are carried by the forward ends of said arms and support a printing head. The printing head includes a pair of bracket arms 54 which are disposed within and close to the confronting faces of the arms 48 and on both of said rods 50 and 52, so that the bracket arms 54 are in efiect rigid with said arms- 48. An impression pad or plate holder in the form of a plate 56 is located under said bracket arms 54 and has upwardly extended ears 58 that are journalled on said lower rod 52 so that said holder plate is capable of swinging on said rod. Each bracket arm 54 has a pair of screws 60, 62

which are engaged with the holder plate 56 for the purpose of levelling the plate with respect to the printing devices. The screw 68 is passed loosely through the bracket arm and is screwthreaded into the holder plate 56. The screw 82 is screw-threaded in the bracket arm and bears upon the plate 58. Thus by proper adjustment of the screws the plate holder 56 can be levelled and at the same time fixed rigidly in position with respect to the bracket arms- The plate holder 56 is provided with a dovetailed groove 64 in its lower face in which an impression pad or plate 68 is removably retained. Said impression pad comprises a metal plate 88 slidable in the dove-tailed groove 84 and havin on its lower surface an impression pad I8 of some resilient material as a rubber compound. The lower surface I2 of said pad is fiat and is adapted to bear against the stencils I8 and to force ink from its surface through the type characters of the stencil and deposit the ink on the work sheet held therebeneath. The surface I2 of the impression pad, as here shown, is substantially coextensive in width with the width of the data carrying face of the stencil, although in my copending application Serial No. 5,944 above referred to, a portion of the impression face is cut away so that a portion only of the total data carried by the stencil is printed. The impression pad is provided with a handle I4 at its front edge, which handle is adapted to enter a notch I8 in the front edge of the plate holder 56. The handle projects above the plate holder and forms manual means by which the impression pad may be applied to and removed from the plate holder. The plate holder is provided with a locking pin 18 that is adapted to enter a recess in the plate 88 of the impression pad, being removably held in said recess by a leaf spring 88 whereby releasably to lock the pad in the holder. The forward end of the leaf spring projects above the top face of the plate holder and in a position to be engaged and raised readily by a finger in the act of withdrawing the impression pad.

The inking mechanism for the impression pad includes a large ink distributingroll or drum 82 located above the printing head between the arms 48 and secured to a shaft 84. Said shaft is journalled in bearing brackets 85, see especially Figs. 1 and 7, secured to the forward ends of a pair of stationary arms 88 attached at their rear ends to a bracket 98 carried by the frame of the machine. An ink reservoir or fountain in the form of a cylinder 92 having a perforated side wall is journalled in the upper end of a swinging frame 94, the lower end of which is pivoted at 96 to the bracket 98. A transfer roll 98 is journalled in the upper end of said frame and is in rolling contact with the ink reservoir 92. A spring I88 bears against said frame 94 and urges it for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 1, whereby to hold the roll 98 in rolling contact with the periphery of the drum 82. The roll 98 is rotated continuously by means including a belt I82 and thereby continuously drives the drum 82. The roll 98 in its rotation is reciprocated axially by means including the gearing I84 now well known in the art.

Ink is transferred from the distributing drum 82 to the vicinity of the impression plate or pad by means including a series of contacting transfer rolls I86, I88, H8. Said rolls are journalled on rods I I2, 4 and H8, respectively, which are extended between and carried by normally depending arms II8, the upper ends of which are disposed between the aforesaid arms 88 and are journalled upon the inner ends of shoulder screws I28. The upper two rods H2, H4 are loosely disposed in longitudinal slots I2I of said arms so that the rolls are free to move lengthwise thereof while the rod II8 for the lowermost roll is fixed in said arms against displacement. Tensile springs I22 are connected to said arms and to the stationary supporting arms 88 and urge said roll carrying arms for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 1, so as to hold the transfer rolls in engagement with each other and with the uppermost roll in rolling engagement with the drum 82. Said arms II8 are provided with rearwardly extended projections H8 which are adapted to confront screws 81 adjustably screw-threaded in the bearings 88 for the distributing drum shaft whereby to limit the clockwise rotation of said arms under urge of the springs I22. The diameter and arrangement of the rolls arev such that the lowermost rolls are thus held by the springs I22 in close proximity with the forward edge of the impression plate, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Since all of the transfer rolls are in engagement with each other the rotation of the drums maintainstherollsincontinuousrotation. When access to the printing head is desired for the purpose of changing impression plates or the like the arms I I 8 with their rolls can be raised into the position illustrated in the dotted lines, the springs I22 moving across the centers of the screws I28 and holding the arms and rolls releasably in their out of service position.

Ink is transferred from the lowermost transfer roll II8 to the impression face of the impression plate by means including an inking frame having a pair of side arms I24, see Figs. 1, 3 and 8. Said arms are disposed outside the supporting arms 48 for the printing head and also outside the stationary arms 88 and have their upper ends pivoted on the shoulder screws I28. Plates I28 are disposed within said arms and are pivotally connected to. the lower ends thereof by screws I28. Said plates extend forwardly and are connected at their forward ends by a rod I38 on which a rotatable inking roll I 32 is supported, said roll being disposed beneath and adapted to roll forwardly and backwardly over the impression face of the impression pad to and from a contacting position with the lowermost transfer roll II8 thereby to deposit ink upon the surface of the impression. pad. The side plates I28 are springbiased for rotation in a clockwise direction, Fig. 1, thereby to hold the inking roll I32 in rolling contact with the surface of the impression pad by tension springs I34. One end of each of said springs is connected to the arm I24 and the other end is connected to a finger I36 which is secured to its respective side plate I26 by a screw I38 and a pin I48. The side plates have projecting stop pins I42 which are adapted to bear against the forward edges of the arms I24 to limit the rotational movement of the side plates under urge of the springs I34 when the inking roll I32 is free from engagement with the impression plate.

The inking frame is adapted to be moved forwardly into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 for the purpose of applying ink from the lowermost transfer roll I I8 to the inking roll I32, at the time the printing head is in engagement with the stencil and thus is materially below the inking roll. It would be undesirable to have the inking roll pass over the front face of the impression pad and its holder 64 and hence means are provided in the rear of the pivot screw I20.

to keep the ink roll out of, contact with these faces during the time that the ink roll is forward thereof and the impression head is rising and falling in back of the roll. Said means includes cam plates I44 secured to the opposite side faces of the plate holder 64. Said cam plates have flat lower cam surfaces I46 and front ends I48 that project forwardly of the front faces of the impression plate and its plate holder and have lower and upper inclined faces I56 and I52, respectively. The heads I54, see Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 8, of the screws I38 project from the inner faces of the side plates I26 and are adapted to bear against the cam faces of said cam plates in the movement of the printing frame. The arrangement is such that ordinarily the heads I54 of the screws are out of contact with the lower straight faces I46 of the cam plates so that the ink'roll can be held by the springs I34 in rolling contact with the face of the impression plate. Said heads, however, are adapted to engage the forward ends of the cam plates in the forward position of the inking frame and especially as the printing head moves downwardly and upwardly so as to hold the inking roll out of engagement with the front faces of the impression plate and its plate holder.

The reciprocation of the inking frame is effected by the reciprocation of the printing head. On each side of the printing head there is a link I56, see Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 9. The lower end of the link is pivoted on a screw I58 secured in the forward end of a bracket arm 54 of the printing head. Said link extends upwardly and overlies the outer face of the arm I24 of the inking frame The upper portion of said link is provided with a longitudinally elongated slot I66 therein. A slide block I62 is located in said slot I60 and is pivoted on a screw I64 carried by the arm I24. A screw I66 is adjustably screw-threaded in said link below said slide block I62 and in position at times to bear against the lower face of said slide block. Said link I56 is also provided with a cam roller I68 which is disposed beneath and is adapted to coment is such that the reciprocatory movements of the printing head control the movements of the inking frame. The inking frame is urged for rotation in a clockwise direction by tensile springs I12, the forward ends of which are connected with the upper ends of said arms and the rear ends of which are connected to the stationary supporting arms 88. Thus the slide blocks are maintained in engagement with the upper ends of the screws I66 or the cam faces I16 of the arms I14 are maintained in engagement with the cam rollers I68 of the links I56, as the case may be depending upon the setting of the screws I66. On the downward movement of the printing head the links I56 move so correspondingly downward and thus the arms I24 are permitted to move forward under action of the springs I12, thus causing the inking roll I32 to advance across the impression face of the ink pad and ultimately into position in engagement with the lowermost transfer roll III]. .Movement of the inking frame in a forward or clockwise direction is limited by screws I14 screw-threaded adjustably in the upper ends of the arms and overlying the upper faces of the supporting arms 88. The movement of the inking frame into the aforesaid relation ,takes place during the first part of the downward roller I68 or the adjusting screw I66 or both engage the arms I24 and retract the inking frame,

swinging movements of the arms I24 is under.

control of the cam rollers I68. During the final part of the retraction movement of the inking frame, however, the setting of the screws I66 is such as to engage the slide blocks I62 and thereby move the inking frame and thereby retract the inking frame into a definite position as determined by the setting of the screws.

I claim:

1. In an addressing machine having a flat reciprocable impression plate, an ink bearing roll disposed at one side of said impression plate, a swinging inking frame, an inkingroll carried by said frame and movable across and in contact with the impression face of said plate and into and out of engagement with said ink carrying roll; means for reciprocating said plate, and means for moving said inking roll across said plate in timed relation to the movements of said plate comprising a control link having a pivotal connection for one end thereof with a reciprocating part of said plate and having means providing a combined sliding and pivotal support for its other end, and means cooperating between said link and frame controlling movements of said frame through said link.

2. In an addressing machine having a reciprocable printing head bearing a flat faced impression plate that is detachable from said head in a direction toward the front thereof, an ink carrying ro-ll disposed in front of said head and plate, an inking roll movable in timedrelation with the movements of said head across and in contact with the face of said impression plate and-into and out of engagement with said ink carrying roll; means for supporting saidink carrying roll removably in the aforesaid relation, permitting it tobe moved from the. path of detaching movement of said plate.

3. An addressing machine comprising a reciprocable printing head having a flat faced impression plate, an ink carrying roll disposed at one side of said plate, an inking roll movable across the face of said impression plate and into and out of engagement with said ink carrying roll, in combination with means to effect the movements of said printing head and inking roll in timed relation with each other including a swinging frame supporting said inking roll, and a link having a pivotal connection with said head and a sliding and pivotal connection with said frame, and cooperating frame-movement governing means on said frame and link.

4. In an addressing machine the combination of a reciprocable printing head having a flat faced impression plate, an inking mechanism for the face of said plate comprising a rotatable ink distributing drum disposed above said head, means for supplying ink to the periphery of said drum, a pivoted ink transfer'frame depending below said drum, a plurality of transfer rolls rotatable on said frame in rolling contact with each other and one with said drum, and an inking roll movable across and in rolling contact with the face of said impression pad and into and out of engagement with the lowermost one of said rolls. I

5. An addressing machine as defined in claim 4, the lowermost transfer roll of said inking transfer frame being rotatably supported in said frame against displacement in a radial direction and said other rolls being mounted for radial displacement in said frame.

6. An addressing machine as defined in claim 4, having spring means to urge said frame in a direction to maintain the uppermost transfer roll in rolling engagement with said distributing drum, and said distributing drum thereby defining the position of said frame.

'7. An addressing machine as in claim 4, means including an over-center spring urging said frame for rotation in a direction to maintain said uppermost transfer roll in engagement with said distributing drum, said drum thereby defining the operative position of said frame, said frame being capable of being swung upwardly about its pivot to move said over-center spring across the pivotal center and said spring constituting means to maintain said uppermost transfer roll against said distributing drum, whereby todefine the elevated position of said ink transfer frame. 8. In an addressing machine having a reciprocable printing head bearing a flat faced impression plate, an inking mechanism therefor comprising a swinging inking frame having a fixed pivotal support for its upper part, a roller rotatable on the lower part of said frame, said frame and roller being arranged for swinging movement to reciprocate said inking roll across and in contact with the impression face of said impression plate, means to supply ink to said roll at a predetermined position thereof; link means interconnecting said head andframe and having a sliding connection with said frame and governed by the reciprocatory movements of the printing head to effect the reciprocatory movements of said inking frame.

9. In an addressing machine having a reciprocable printing head bearing a fiat faced impression plate, an inking mechanism therefor comprising a swinging inking frame having a fixed pivotal support for its upper part, an inking roll rotatable on the lower part of said frame, said frame and roll being arranged for swinging movement to reciprocate said inking roll across and in contact with the impression face of said impression plate, means to supply ink to said roll at a predetermined position thereof; means governed by the reciprocatory movements of the printing head to effect the reciprocatory movements of said inking frame, said means including a spring normally urging said frame for movement in one direction, and link means directly interconnecting said head and frame and having a sliding connection with said frame and movable with said printing head controlling the action of said spring in moving said inking frame in one direction and moving said frame against the action, of said spring in the opposite direc- 1 An addressing machine comprising the combination of a reciprocable printing head having a flat faced impression platen, an inking mechanism therefor including a swinging inking frame having side arms, fixed pivotal supports for the upper ends of said side arms, plates pivoted to the lower end of said side arms, an inking roll carried by and disposed between and journalled on said side plates, spring means urging said plates and inking roll in a direction to urge said roll in engagement with the impression roll of said impression pad, means for reciprocating said frame to carry said roll across and in engagement with the face of said impression plate,

and means to apply ink to said inking roll at a predetermined location thereof.

11. An addressing machine as defined in claim including means governed by the movements of said printing head to effect the reciprocation of said printing inking frame.

12. An addressing machine comprising the combination of a reciprocable printing head having a fiat faced impression pad, an inking mecha-' nism therefor comprising a swinging inking frame having a pivotal support for its upper end, side plates having a pivotal connection with the lower end of said frame, an inking roll journalled on said side plates, spring means urging said side plates and inking roll toward a predetermined position, said printing head having cam plates and said side plates having cam followers movable over the cam faces of said plates, said cam plates and cam followers defining the position of said inking roll with respect to the inking face of said pad, and means to apply ink to said inking roll at a predetermined location thereof.

13. An addressing machine comprising the combination of a reciprocable printing head hav-'- ing a flat faced impression pad, an inking mechanism therefor comprising a swinging inking frame having a pivotal support for its upper end, side plates having a pivotal connection with the lower end of said frame, an inking roll journalled on said side plates, spring means urging said side plates and inking roll toward a predetermined position, said printing head having cam plates and said side plates having cam followers movable over the cam faces of said plates, said cam plates and cam followers defining the position of said inking roll with respect to the inking face of said pad, said inking roll being movable into a position in front of the front face of said impression plate, said cam plates having the forward ends projecting forwardly of the front face of said impression plate and so shaped as to maintain said inking roll out of contact with the front face of said impression plate, and an ink transfer roll disposed in front of said printing head in position to be engaged by said inking roll.

14. An addressing machine having a supporting frame, a reciprocable printing head bearing aflat faced impression plate, an inking mechanism therefor comprising an inking frame having a pivotal support on said supporting frame, an inking roll reciprocable across the face of said impression plate; means including a control link having a pivotal connection with said head and cam engagement with said inking frame and operated by said head for effecting the reciprocatory movements of said inking frame.

15. An addressing machine having a machine frame, a reciprocable printing head bearing a flat faced impression plate, an inking frame pivoted to a stationary part of said machine frame and having an inking roll reciprocable with said frame across the face of said impression plate, spring means connected with said frame for urging it for movement in one direction; means including acontrol link having a pivotal connec tion with said head and cam engagement with said inking frame and reciprocable with said inking frame for controlling the spring urged movement of said inking frame and for moving said inking frame in the opposite direction against the action of said spring.

16. An addressing machine having a machine frame, a reciprocable printing head bearing a flat faced impression plate, an inking frame pivoted to a stationary part of said machine frame and having an inking roll reciprocable with said frame across the face of said impression plate, spring means connected with said frame for urging it for movement in one direction; a link carried by and reciprocable with said printing head engageable with said printing frame and operative to control its movements in one direction and to move it in the opposite direction, said link having a lost motion connection with said inking frame.

17. An addressing machine having a machine frame, a reciprocable printing head bearing a flat faced impression plate, an inking frame pivoted to a stationary part of said machine frame and having an inking roll reciprocable with said frame across the face of said impression plate,

spring means connected with said frame for urging it for movement in one direction; a link carried by and reciprocable with said printing head and having a lost motion connection with said inking frame and with said machine frame and operative to control the movements of said inking frame in one direction and to move it in the opposite direction, said inking frame having a cam face and said link having a cam follower engageable with said cam face to control the movements of said frame.

18. An addressing machine comprising the combination of a reciprocable printing head having a fiat faced impression pad, an inking mechanism therefor including a swinging inking frame having an inking roller reciprocable against and in contact with the impression face of said impression plate, and means governing the movements of said inking frame including spring means acting on said frame for moving it in one direction, a link reciprocable with said printing head having a longitudinally elongated slot therein, a slide block in said slot carried by said frame, and a member screw-threaded in said link adapted to bear against said slide block, said inking frame being movable under the action of its spring in one direction under control of said link and being moved positively in the opposite direction against the action of its spring by said link.

19. An addressing machine comprising the combination of a reciprocable printing head having a flat faced impression plate, an inking mechanism therefor comprising an ink distributing drum rotatable above said printing head, means for applying ink to the face of said drum, an ink transfer frame disposed belowsaid drum in front of said head having a series of peripherally contacting transfer rolls the uppermost one of which is in rolling contact with said drum, an inking frame having an inking roller reciprocable across and in contact with the impression face of said impression plate and into and out of engagement with the lowermost transfer roll of said series, a link pivoted tosaid printing head and reciprocable therewith, and operative connections between said link and inking frame for controlling the reciprocatory movements thereof.

20. An addressing machine comprising the combination of a reciprocable printing head hav-, ing a flat faced impression plate, an inking mechanism therefor comprising an ink distributing drum rotatable above said printing head, means for applying ink to the face of said drum, an ink transfer frame disposed below said drum in front of said head having a series of peripherally contacting transfer rolls the uppermost one of which is in rolling contact with said drum, an inking frame having an inking roller reciprocable across and in contact with the impression face of said impression plate and. into and out of engagement with the lowermost transfer roll of said series, springmeans connected with said inking frame for moving it in one direction and means including .a link pivotally connected with said printing head and reciprocable therewith, said link having operative connections with said inking frame and operative to control its movement in one direction under the action of said spring and for moving said frame positively in the opposite direction against the HARMON P. ELLIOTT. 

